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Hi friends! Happy new year!! I hope it’s off to a happy and healthy start for all.

I’ve been a bit overwhelmed, in a good way, with work recently and I know the postings have been less consistent. But it doesn’t mean that I’m not keeping an eye out for deals. I don’t want to post every single sale I come across (seriously, if you are willing to get lots of emails, just sign up to receive emails from the companies that you like and will get sale notices all the time! You should NEVER EVER be paying retail for GAPfit stuff since they have big sales all the time) unless it’s a very very good deal.

Came across this discount code and realized I personally hadn’t seen one yet for Outdoor Voices. This recreational clothing company has blown up over the past year. Their clothes look super cute but I haven’t gotten around to buying anything from them since I have plenty of workout clothes and can get great discounts elsewhere if I need something. But I did come across a promo code that I wanted to share: HEY2017 will get you $20 off your first order. I tested it out and it doesn’t look like it applies to their Kits. I don’t have a need for new gear so probably won’t get anything this time around but happy shopping if this is useful!

I unfortunately have to be physically near a mall on Black Friday. I’m visiting my in-laws and they live near one. Other than that, I am hoping to be as far away from shopping centers as possible for the remainder of the year. I used to be one of those people that got up super early to catch the first deals at the mall but I’ve discovered you can get the same awesome deals without leaving the comfort of your bed. And I’ve just become a grumpy old lady that doesn’t like crowds and how crazy people get towards one another over a tv.

I’m pretty good on gear this year so I’m hoping to be spending my long weekend logging miles for my first marathon or getting some hikes in. But for all of you, I’ve compiled deals that I’ve been seeing to prep you for your holiday shopping or gift-giving needs. Most are for Black Friday/Black Friday weekend and based on what I see, I may update for Cyber Monday.

Are you the type of person that can’t commit to something next week? Well then this post is not for you.

If you are willing to commit to a race almost a year ahead of time, then you could be rewarded with some pretty decent savings. This post is for The San Francisco Marathon, which I ran a few weeks ago for the fifth time. I especially love the second half since it reminds me how grateful I am to be in this city, whether as a tourist or resident.

If you aren’t familiar, there are a TON of options for this race, including an opportunity to run 52.4 miles! But the main events are the full marathon, the first half marathon, and the second half marathon. The first half starts along the Embarcardero, crosses the Golden Gate Bridge, and then back over the bridge to Golden Gate Park. The second half starts in Golden Gate Park, goes through some iconic SF neighborhoods, and ends on the Embarcardero. The full marathon covers both courses.

The first half tends to be the draw for most people but personally, I didn’t care for it. First off, it starts at 5:30 AM. 5:30 AM?!?!?! Unless you are an elite runner, you feel like you are in a can of sardines by the time you get to the bridge. It feels like a shuffle versus a run since it is so packed with people and there really isn’t a whole lot of room to move around the crowd. Karl the Fog tends to take over the bridge towers and the first half is hilly. The perk is that you are done early enough to hit up any popular breakfast/brunch place without having to wait in line since you will be the first one there.

The second half has my heart. It’s more sleep friendly, though the start time was an hour earlier this year at 7:15. There are some rolling hills but the course is net downhill. You go through Golden Gate Park (hello Buffalos!) and so many wonderful SF neighborhoods including Haight Ashbury, the Mission, Potrero Hill, and Dogpatch. You run by AT&T Park, under the Bay Bridge and then finish on the Embarcardero.

The race next year is scheduled for July 23, 2017. It will be the 40th anniversary and the marathon is currently priced at $110 and both half marathons are $95 each. The coupon code 10TSFM40 will get you an additional $10 off and is good through November 1, 2016. That means $85 for the half marathon and nowadays, that is not a terrible price

Came across this deal and wanted to share – Groupon is offering some savings off of the Rock n’ Roll race series in San Jose, with a 5K at $30 to the half marathon at $79. This race seems to be priced a little more affordably than some of their other races in the series. While the discount isn’t huge, it’s still a discount and it beats scouring the internet for discount codes. You have two more days to buy the deal from Groupon and then you will still need to register for the race via the instructions – read them carefully. The race is in early October.

Sure, any of us could go out for a run at whatever distance without spending a dime. But it’s so much more fun when roads are closed off to cars, a ton of people cheering you on, music and aid stations along your route, and of course, the glorious bling as you cross the finish line. Yes, all of this costs money (here’s an idea of the costs associated with a race) but some of these race fees are becoming outrageous – the New York City Marathon costs $266 with processing fees! Unless you live outside of the United States, you can expect to pay nearly another $100.

I definitely plan to add to my bling collection this year but I definitely can’t afford to do a ton of these, especially when travel is involved. Here are some of my tips to cutting costs on race fees:

Google the race name with words like coupon, promo, or discount. I do this every time, even if the race fee is reasonable, because who wouldn’t want to save a few bucks? RetailMeNot or similar sites typically will pop up with various codes – try them all out. For one race, I went through about 10 codes and wanted to give up, but then the second to last discount code saved me $20!

Go to the expos of other races. They usually have vendor booths for upcoming races and offer discounts if you sign up at the expo.

Sign up for the race the day after it’s over. Sure, it’s a year away but signing up early guarantees the cheapest prices.

If you run enough races a year, consider getting a membership with Active Advantage. It’s $70 for the yearly membership but they usually waive processing fees and the fifth race is free, up to $70, so paying for itself.

Smaller races are sometimes cheaper. AND depending on your speed, it can be easier to place at smaller races!

If you are looking for a race in SoCal, here’s a website, RaceSched, with a compilation of race discounts and coupons.

If you are a member of a larger running group, check with them to see if they already have or can get a discount to an upcoming local race.

Hope this is helpful. If anyone has any other websites or tips, please feel free to share in the comments. Happy running!

I’ve always liked this quote and actually wrote it down twice in my journal today. But let’s be honest, I love new fitness related gear and accessories. I actually just took advantage of an REI member discount last week and got a much needed (well, much wanted) GPS running watch.

So once again this year, here’s a list of running and yoga related deals that I compiled from my search on the internet for Black Friday/Cyber Monday/general holiday deals so you don’t have to! Just don’t take advantage of these deals at the expense of trampling over people or being in front of the computer all day.

I don’t know about all of you but coffee is responsible for my AM runs and yoga sessions. Even if I’m not doing any of these things, without it, I can’t really function and am pretty much a miserable person. And if you’re like me and coffee fuels your life, this deal will perk you up.

This was the year where I decided to start racing again. Not just running races, which I had done from time to time with friends during my running break. I wanted that competitive spark back and wanted to train and challenge myself to see how I could improve. Or at least I thought I wanted to train. My first race this year was in February. I had fully intended on training, more so to get back in the groove of running and not for time. By race day, I had gone on about 4 short runs. Luckily, I was running with a friend and we had each other for company and for motivation. Muscle memory kicked in and I finished the race without getting too beat up.

My next race, Windsor Half Marathon, fell in May. I definitely got more than 4 runs in, but the training was nothing close to what I used to do. My times for my shorter runs were getting faster but I didn’t really do any long distances. I went on two 10-milers right before the race, and it was only because my friend (same one from the February race) was on her training plan and I had someone to run with. SHOCKINGLY, I got a PR here! 1:42:51 (1:42:21 per my Strava app, but who’s counting the seconds)! Despite the rolling hills, I think adrenaline was just coursing through me and the beautiful scenery and cool weather helped.

Still on a high after the race in May, I signed up for one of my favorite races, the SF Marathon (second, more sleep-friendly half) in July. My training didn’t look too different from the one for May, except I got no long runs in, but my times were still getting faster. However on race day, the adrenaline I usually benefit from at the start of the race did not kick in. At all. I felt like it was another day, getting up early and dragging my feet to go for a run. By mile 2, my mind kept trying to tell me that it was okay to slow down and that I should. I ignored it and when I had my Gu at mile 5, I felt a little better for a couple of miles. Then the mental bonk started to creep back in. Then my calf started cramping the last two miles. I finished with a course PR but felt like crap. Literally. Let’s just say I had to take Imodium, which I’ve never needed to do before. That’s how shitty I felt.

My brother has been wanting to do a race with me and we signed up for the Berkeley Half Marathon in November. Plenty of time to train. But what I’ve realized is that I don’t have the motivation to train. I have an idea of what the cause might be but with this being a public space, I’m not ready to air my thoughts on that. Plus, it’s irrelevant to the blog. Anyhow, I started looking into running groups near me since at this moment, I need other people to be accountable to in order to show up for a run. One of the larger running clubs looked interesting, their run schedule fit with my availability, but their membership dues are $150 for a year. A bit steep for me. Another club is cheaper, with membership at $50 per year but their scheduled runs don’t work with my schedule. I’ve looked at some meetups but they tend to be for specific groups of runners or locations and none appealed to me. I mentioned this to two people and they both suggested I “Strava-stalk” runners on the app (term used by my brother-in-law). This method had worked successfully for both of them, finding more than just running friends in the process. They suggested I look at the segments I like to run, find people who are around my pace and maybe live nearby or run similar routes, and like their runs and suggest a run together. That sounds so WEIRD to me! But is it weird??? Has anyone else done this or had it happen to them. Would save me a ton of money. Not sure how I would feel if a stranger approached me on the app and suggested meeting up for a run. If I happen to muster up the courage to message a few people, I’ll be sure to share how it goes.

Hey all! National Running Day this year is TODAY, Wednesday June 3. And of course, there are usually discounts with these types of observances. I wasn’t able to find a whole lot, especially ones that applied to the entire country vs just New York. But here are a few. If I come across anything else, I will be sure to add it so check back if you are curious.